Flexible curtain.



PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907.

H. E. VANCE. FLEXIBLE CURTAIN.

P OATIONI witnesses 6215a /3. 62mm.

HERMAN E. VANCE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

FLEXIBLE CURTAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 26.1906- 58m?) 818.897.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, HERMAN E. ,Vnnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumb us, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Curtains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

The slats of flexible rolling wooden curtains have heretofore been joined together by two or more parallel metallic tapes passed through alined axial openings in the slats. In rolling up such a curtain, as heretofore commonly used, the curtain, because of the tilting oi the slats upon each other at their edges, would lengthen somewhat without a corresponding lengthening of the tapes, hence it was necessary to provide means usually springs-to permit the extension of the curtain on the tapes and prevent undue separation ol the slats or looseness between thcm The object of the present invention is to provide a construction of curtain ol' the general character stated in which the elongation of the curtain on the slat-connecting tapes in rolling is eliminated or at least so greatly reduced as to be practically negligible and hence do away with the necessity for the provision of such springs.

The invention consists in the construction of slat and a curtain including such slats as hcrcinattcr described and pointed out in the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawingsl igurc 1 is a view in combined section and perspective oi a traction of the lower end of a curtain; Fig. '2 is a detail showing two slats rocked with respect to each other and the strap ilcxcd Fig. 3 illustrates how such a curtain can be attached to a winding roller.

in the views 1 designates the body of the slat. The broken line ub designates approximately the vertical axis of a cross section of the slat and curtain when unrollcd. The upper edge 2- cf the slat is convexedly formed on an arc with a point, as c, in the line o-b as the center, and the lower edge is formed concavedly on a similar are, or so that when the upper and lower edges of two slats are joined they can rock upon each other and remain in'contact, or without tilting and therefore separating at one side or the other of the contacting edges.

The slats are each provided with a transverse opening 3 forming a passage to receive the connecting tape, wire or strip 7. These passages extend non-rectilinearly or angularly through the slat and have their axes substantially coinciding with a lane at right angles to the direction of the ength of the slat, and when the slats are joined, as in forming the curtain, the tape passage is of zig-zag or serpentine form. I mean by the expression axis of the passage that imaginary line which passes substantiallylong1tudinally through the center of the passage.

It will be noted that in the illustrated embodiment of the invention the a ex of the tape passage in the slat is slightly eyond the axial line a b at one side, as indicated at d,

and that the centers of the terminals of the l passage are slightly beyond the axial. line at the opposite side. but the passage is of such diameter that the tape will preferably extend in an unbent condition in the body of the curtain when unrolled. It will also be noted that the tape in the unrolled position of the curtain lies at one side of the axis a-b but that it contacts with the wall of the passage at three points. The slats are thus held from wabbling with respect to the tape or each other.

The slats at their edges can be provided at one side with abutments 4 and 5 to limit or prevent their rolling mo ement on each other toward that side, while the opposite side of the slats can be recessed as indicated at 6 to allow great freedom of movement or flexibility of the curtain toward that side for the purpose of permitting it to be properly rolled up.

The bottom strip or rail 8 can be plain or ornamented, and the tape passage therein widened at its upper portion only to permit the flexing of the tape. The tape 7 can be passed through the bottom bar and bent and secured in place as indicated.

.1 have discovered that with the construction thus shown and described the curtain can be wound up on a roller without materially elongating its axis and hence it is unnecessary to use springs to compensate for the elongation and contraction of the slats on their connecting tape.

I do not confine myself to the precise form What ters-Patent is:

. tion.

device can be bored and circular in cross section, and the position -of the passage with reference to the axis of the slat can be varied. Other modes of attaching the flexible straps to the bottom bar and roller can be employed.

I claim and desire to secure by Let- 1. In a flexible rolling curtain, a plurality of slats each provided with a non-rectilinear passage, a flexible slat-connecting device in said passage, said passage having a substantially greater diameter than that of the flexi ble connecting device and having its axis substantially coinciding with a lane at right angles to the direction of the ength of the slat, substantially as described.

2. A plurality of slats for the construction of a flexible rolling curtain, said slats each provided with a non-rectilinear passage to receive a flexible slat-connecting device, said assage having its axis substantially-coinciding with a lane at right anglesto the direc. tion of the ength of the slat, the openings of the passages at the junction of the slats registering when the slats are in unrolled posi- 3. A plurality of slats for the construction of a flexible rolling curtain, said slats each provided with a non-rectilinear passage to receive a flexible slat-connecting device, said passage having anv angular axis coinciding substantially with a plane at right angles to the direction of the length of the slat, the openings of the passages at the junction of the slats registering when the slats are in unrolled position. v

4. A slat for the construction of flexible rolling curtains having a non-rectilinear passage for the reception of a flexible connecting device, said passage having the terminals of its axis located at one side of the axis of the slat while the apex of the axisof the assage p therein in a substantia is located on the opposite side of t e axis of the slat, substantially as described.

tive centers points in the axis of the slat.

6. A flexible curtain of slats having a zigzag or serpentine passage for the reception of I a flexible slat-connecting device, said passage being of a diameter suflicient to permit the flexible connecting device to extend ly unbent condition when the curtain is unrolled or in vertical position. i

7. A slat for the construction of flexible rolling curtains having a non-rectilinear passage for the reception of a flexible connecting device, saidpassage being of a diameter sufficient to lpermit a flexible connecting device to lie un ent therethrough.

8. A slat for the construction of flexible rolling curtains having a non-rectilinear passage for the reception of a flexible connecting device, and a flexible connecting device for said passage adapted to extend in a substantially unbent condition therethrough but to touch the walls of the passage at three points, substantially as described.

9. A slat for the construction'of flexible rolling curtains having a non-rectilinear passage for the reception of a flexible device to connect the slat to another slat, said passage lying in a plane at right angles-to the length of the slat and said passage also having a terminal of greater diameter than the thickness of the flexible connecting device combined with such flexible connecting device whereby said slat can be rocked laterally with reference to the adjoined slat independently of said connecting device.

In testimony whereof- I aflix my signature, in presence of. two witnesses. HERMAN E. VANCE.

'Witnesses:

ULYssEs'R. PETERS, BENJ. FINCKEL. 

